CASA launches visitation program in Divide

For families torn apart by divorce or domestic strife a program just launched in Teller County offers support for parents and children in a supervised setting.

A grant-funded program coordinated by Angela Komar, the Supervised and Parenting Time is among the services offered by Court Appointed Special Advocate.

For parents caught in the snag of anger or abuse, the program grants opportunities to maintain the emotional bond with the child. “A family comes in and one parent sits and spends time with the child for one or two hours a week while a volunteer supervises the visit,” Komar said.

Komar emphasizes that CASA volunteers do not provide therapy or counseling. “We just want to make sure it's safe. We're trained in child development, mental health and substance abuse, domestic violence,” Komar said. “So whatever happens that might be subtle it's still going to be safe for that child, not impact the child in a negative way.”

While the CASA visitation program has been available in Colorado Springs, Komar recently opened the office in Divide adjacent to the Community Partnership.

For parents who can't get past the domestic strife, or have restraining orders against them, Komar can arrange the scheduling to separate the parents or guardians. “The goal is to see that the child is not witnessing conflict,” said Komar, who recently earned a degree in sociology from Colorado College.

In addition to Komar, the program is run by volunteers who are asked to commit to 12 hours a month. For information about volunteering and training, call Komar at 338-8741 or email angelak@casappr.org.